About Avera @ Home
Hospice overview and quality summary
Avera @ Home is a nonprofit hospice care provider in Aberdeen, SD, serving patients and families in Brown County and the surrounding area. Medicare certified since 1994, Avera @ Home has provided 32 years of end-of-life and palliative care to the community.
Avera @ Home serves an average of 37 patients per day, covering 48 ZIP codes across its service area. 35% of care is delivered in patients' homes, consistent with the hospice philosophy of enabling comfort care in familiar surroundings.
Avera @ Home has earned a 4-star CMS quality rating based on caregiver survey results, reflecting strong satisfaction across communication, symptom management, and emotional support. The facility's Hospice Care Index score is 9 out of 10, a composite measure of care quality and efficiency. 16 physicians are affiliated with this hospice.
When choosing hospice care in Aberdeen, SD, consider quality ratings, caregiver satisfaction surveys, the hospice's experience with your loved one's condition, and the service area. Since hospice care is typically delivered in the home, the responsiveness and availability of the care team are critical factors.
At a Glance
Caregiver Satisfaction
CAHPS Hospice Survey results from bereaved family caregivers
Very Good
CMS CAHPS Hospice Star Rating
Avera @ Home has earned a 4-star quality rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), based on the CAHPS Hospice Survey of bereaved family caregivers. This rating reflects above-average satisfaction across emotional support, symptom management, team communication, and respect. This places Avera @ Home among the higher-rated hospice providers serving families in Aberdeen, SD.
Emotional & Spiritual Support
How well the hospice team provided emotional and spiritual support
88% of caregivers gave a top rating for emotional & spiritual support, consistent with the national average of 90%.
Treated with Respect
Whether the patient was treated with dignity and respect
95% of caregivers gave Avera @ Home a top rating for treated with respect, above the national average of 90%.
Help with Symptoms
How well the hospice team managed pain and other symptoms
81% of caregivers gave Avera @ Home a top rating for help with symptoms, above the national average of 74%.
Team Communication
How well the hospice team communicated with the family
86% of caregivers gave Avera @ Home a top rating for team communication, above the national average of 81%.
Getting Timely Care
Whether the patient received help as soon as it was needed
88% of caregivers gave Avera @ Home a top rating for getting timely care, above the national average of 77%.
Training for Family Caregivers
Whether sufficient training was provided to care for the patient
78% of caregivers gave Avera @ Home a top rating for training for family caregivers, above the national average of 75%.
Overall Rating (9-10)
Percentage of caregivers rating the hospice 9 or 10 out of 10
84% of caregivers gave Avera @ Home a top rating for overall rating (9-10), above the national average of 81%.
Would Recommend
Percentage of caregivers who would definitely recommend this hospice
87% of caregivers gave Avera @ Home a top rating for would recommend, above the national average of 84%.
Source: CMS CAHPS Hospice Survey · Vertical markers indicate national average
Quality Process Measures
CMS hospice care quality indicators vs. national benchmarks
Treatment Preferences Documented
Patients whose treatment preferences were discussed and documented
100.0%
Natl: 99.5%
Beliefs & Values Addressed
Patients whose beliefs and values were addressed in the plan of care
100.0%
Natl: 98.3%
Pain Screening
Patients screened for pain upon hospice admission
100.0%
Natl: 98.3%
Comprehensive Pain Assessment
Patients with pain who received a comprehensive pain assessment
100.0%
Natl: 94.8%
Dyspnea Screening
Patients screened for shortness of breath upon admission
100.0%
Natl: 99.0%
Dyspnea Treatment
Patients with dyspnea who received treatment within 24 hours
100.0%
Natl: 97.4%
Opioid Bowel Regimen
Patients on opioids who were offered a bowel regimen
100.0%
Natl: 93.2%
Composite Process Score
Composite measure of all hospice care process quality measures
100.0%
Natl: 91.6%
Hospice Care Index
Composite quality score with 10 sub-measures
Overall HCI Score
National average: 8.8/10
Avera @ Home's Hospice Care Index (HCI) score is 9 out of 10, above the national average of 8.8. This composite score reflects stronger-than-average performance across measures of nursing continuity, care transitions, and presence near death.
84.4% of Avera @ Home's patients received visits from the hospice team in their final days of life, significantly above the national average of 47.9%. This is one of the most meaningful quality indicators — having the hospice team present during the final hours provides critical comfort to both patients and families.
Visits Near Death
Patients with visits in last 3 days of life
98.1%
Natl: 89.5%
Nurse Care Minutes
Average nurse care minutes per routine home care day
21.4
Natl: 13.4
Weekend Nursing
Percentage of skilled nursing minutes on weekends
9.6%
Natl: 9.2%
Gaps in Nursing Visits
Stays with gaps in skilled nursing visits
13.1%
Natl: 55.4%
Early Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive within 3 days
7.1%
Natl: 7.2%
Late Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive after enrollment
19%
Natl: 40%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 1)
Hospice-to-acute-care transitions near death
2.4%
Natl: 8%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 2)
Acute care admissions near death
4.8%
Natl: 2.3%
CHC/GIP Days
Continuous home care & general inpatient days as share of total
0%
Natl: 0.6%
Per-Beneficiary Spending
Average Medicare spending per hospice beneficiary
$9,495
Natl: $16,971
Patient Population
Primary diagnoses of hospice patients
Avera @ Home's patient population is primarily composed of individuals with other conditions (37%), followed by cancer (26%), cardiovascular disease (16%), dementia (10%), respiratory disease (9%).
Care Settings
Where hospice care is delivered
Avera @ Home delivers 35% of its care in patients' homes, with 55% in nursing facility settings, 10% in assisted living settings. The significant proportion of facility-based care may reflect patients requiring higher levels of medical support or those without available home caregivers. The hospice serves an average of 37 patients per day.
Nursing Facility
Patient's Home
Assisted Living
Doctors at Avera @ Home
16 affiliated physicians
Dr. Lyle Biegler, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Kathryn Martinez, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Randall Waldner, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Arlin Myrmoe, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Scott Purintun, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Michael Knapp, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Jacek Bednarz, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Angelina Rohlfs, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Lacey Kessler, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Steven Redmond, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Brandon Steger, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Elizabeth Gravley, MD
Family Practice
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Reviews and ratings from patients
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Frequently Asked Questions
About Avera @ Home
What is the CMS rating for Avera @ Home?
Avera @ Home has a 4-star quality rating from CMS based on the CAHPS Hospice Survey of bereaved family caregivers, which evaluates satisfaction across areas including symptom management, communication, and emotional support.
What conditions does Avera @ Home primarily treat?
Avera @ Home's patient population includes other conditions (37%), cancer (26%), cardiovascular disease (16%), dementia (10%), respiratory disease (9%). This reflects the hospice's experience managing these conditions.
Where does Avera @ Home provide care?
Avera @ Home provides care in nursing facility (55%), patient's home (35%), assisted living (10%).
How large is Avera @ Home?
Avera @ Home serves an average of 37 patients per day and covers 48 ZIP codes in its service area.
How many doctors are affiliated with Avera @ Home?
16 physicians are affiliated with Avera @ Home.
Data source: CMS Hospice Compare · CAHPS Hospice Survey ·